The present invention relates to sponge mops, and more particularly to xe2x80x9cbutterflyxe2x80x9d type sponge mops.
Conventional butterfly sponge mops include an elongate handle, a mop head comprising a sponge mounted on a pair of pivotable horizontal coplanar wings, and a squeeze mechanism for pivoting the wings into a vertical parallel position to compress the sponge and extract liquid therefrom. Typically, the mop head is mounted transverse to one end of the handle at a fixed angle to the axis of the handle. This is disadvantageous in that the head can only conform with a surface for efficacious mopping if the handle is maintained at a fixed angle to the surface. Furthermore, because the head is held at a fixed angle, it takes up a large amount of space when packaged or hung off supermarket shelves.
A possible solution to these problems is to allow the head to freely pivot at one end of the handle about an axis transverse to the axis of the handle. While this solution allows the head to freely pivot into conformity with a surface if the angle between the handle and the surface is varied, frictional forces parallel to the axis of the handle typically cause the head to freely pivot out of conformity with the surface during mopping. Additionally they may flop about during movement making the step of packaging into a box or hanging on a supermarket rack a more difficult exercise.
Conventional butterfly mops are therefore inefficacious in situations where ergonomics require variation of the angle between the handle and the surface during mopping. Such situations include the mopping of vertical surfaces, the mopping of elevated surfaces, and the mopping of surfaces under projections or with low overhangs.
In addition to the above disadvantageous functionality, conventional butterfly sponge mops are characterised by complicated squeeze mechanisms for extracting liquid from the sponge and complicated and inefficient arrangements for mounting the sponge on the head.
A requirement accordingly exists for a butterfly sponge mop wherein the head can be positively adjusted to a desired angle during mopping, and wherein both the squeeze mechanism and the sponge mounting arrangement are simple in construction and efficient in operation.
According to the present invention, there is provided a butterfly sponge mop including:
a mop handle;
a mop head comprising a pair of pivotable wings including means for holding the wings in a common plane;
means for mounting a sponge on the wings;
a squeeze mechanism for pivoting the wings to compress the sponge therebetween; and
a swivel assembly for rotatably connecting one end of the handle to the head such that the rotational configuration of the handle with respect to the head sets the relative angle made between the handle and the common plane.
Suitably the wings are of a generally planar configuration. They may be resiliently biased towards a coplaner position for mopping.
Advantageously, the swivel assembly includes a swivel connector and a swivel housing. The swivel connector advantageously has a front end and a rear end. The rear end includes a handle mounting socket and the front end includes a swivel pin. The handle mounting socket is angularly offset from the swivel pin. Conveniently, one end of the handle is retained against rotation in the handle mounting socket. Advantageously, the swivel housing includes a swivel socket portion and an disposed elongate body portion. The swivel socket portion may be angularly offset from the longitudinal axis of the body portion. The swivel socket portion advantageously has an unrestricted rear opening and a restricted front opening. The swivel connector is suitably received in the unrestricted rear opening such that swivel pin of the swivel connector extends through the restricted front opening of the swivel socket portion. Conveniently, the swivel pin is locked against the restricted front opening such that the swivel connector is freely rotatable but axially secured to the swivel socket portion of the swivel housing. Advantageously, the body portion of the swivel housing has a generally lower surface for mounting the pivotable wings such that the pivot axis of the wings is parallel to the longitudinal axis of the body portion.
As described above, the swivel connector and the swivel housing rotatably connect one end of the handle to the head such that the head can be conformed to a surface by relative rotation of the head and the handle if the angle between the handle and the surface is varied during mopping.
Advantageously, the squeeze mechanism includes an actuator sleeve and a compression clevis. The actuator sleeve is advantageously coaxially slidably mounted on the handle. The compression clevis is generally U-shaped and advantageously comprises a cross member having two fingers disposed normal thereto and extending from each of its ends. Conveniently, each finger of the compression clevis has a cam-like lower abutment surface. The free ends of the fingers of the compression clevis are advantageously pivotably connected to the body portion of the swivel housing about a pivot axis transverse to the longitudinal axis of the body portion such that the cam-like lower abutment surfaces of the fingers are proximate to the upper surfaces of the wings. Advantageously, the actuator sleeve is operatively connected to the compression clevis by a control member having a first end and a second opposite end, the second end being angularly offset from the first end. The first end of the control member is advantageously pivotably connected to the actuator sleeve about a pivot axis transverse to the axis of the handle, and the second opposite end of the control member is advantageously pivotably connected to the cross member of the compression clevis about a pivot axis parallel to the pivot axis of the fingers. Conveniently, the angular offset between the first and second opposite ends of the control rod accommodates angular displacement of the compression clevis relative to the actuator sleeve when the handle is rotated relative to the head to conform the head to a surface during mopping.
As described above, the squeeze mechanism is operable to simultaneously pivot the wings from the horizontal coplanar mopping position to a squeezing position where they are parallel for compressing the sponge and extracting liquid therefrom. Specifically, movement of the actuator sleeve towards the head causes the control member to concomitantly move towards the cross member of the compression clevis, which in turn causes the fingers of the compression clevis to pivot such that the cam-like lower abutment surfaces of the fingers abut the upper surfaces of the wings in a camming motion to simultaneously pivot the wings into a vertical parallel position.
Advantageously, the wings are configured such that the head defines a trapezoidal plan shape to facilitate mopping in corners and/or confined spaces. Further or in the alternative, the upper surfaces of the wings may be bevelled for this purpose.
Advantageously, the sponge is generally identical in plan shape to the head and has an upper surface and a lower surface. The sponge is advantageously removably mounted on the lower surfaces of the wings by mounting plates secured to the upper surface of the sponge that are slidably lockable in complementary key structures formed on the lower surfaces of each wing. Conveniently, a key structure is formed on the lower surface of each wing generally parallel to the pivot axis of the wings, and two mounting plates are secured to the upper surface of the sponge in aligned spaced apart relationship transverse to the longitudinal axis of the sponge. Preferably, each key structure includes a recess formed in the front edge of the respective wing and each mounting plate includes a complementary locking tab arranged adjacent the corresponding front edge of the sponge.
As described above, the sponge is removably mounted on the lower surface of the wings by simultaneously sliding the respective mounting plates on the sponge into the respective key structures on the lower surfaces of the wings until the locking tabs on the mounting plates are lockably received in the complementary recesses in the wings.
Advantageously, an auxiliary cleaning tool, such as a scouring pad or a squeegee, is selectively removably mounted on the front of the body portion of the swivel housing. The auxiliary cleaning tool is advantageously removably mounted by a mounting plate provided on the auxiliary cleaning tool that is slidably lockable in a complementary key structure formed in the front of the body portion. Conveniently, the key structure is formed in the front of the body portion perpendicular to the longitudinal axis of the body portion. The mounting plate is advantageously arranged on the auxiliary cleaning tool such that the operative face of the auxiliary cleaning tool is parallel to the head when the mounting plate is slidably locked in the complementary key structure. As with the head, the operative face of the auxiliary cleaning tool, such as the blade of a squeegee, may be conformed to a surface by relative rotation of the handle and the head during cleaning.
An embodiment of the invention will now be described by way of example only with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which: